The fundraising environment is changing rapidly, and we think founders should have the most timely insights into what investors are thinking and seeing in the market.
Each month, we speak with a seasoned early-stage investor about the fundraising climate at that moment in time, asking tactical questions to help founders raise successfully.
In this month’s episode of Fundraising Today, Mercury’s head of community, Mallory Contois, was joined by Sydney Thomas, founder and general partner at Symphonic Capital, a pre-seed VC fund that makes long-term bets on early-stage founders. Prior to conducting Symphonic, Sydney was the first hire at Precursor Ventures, where she rose from intern to venture partner in six years, helping the firm significantly scale out its investments and grow its team. Sydney also brings a background in business development and product marketing for tech startups.
To hear Sydney’s thoughts about the current fundraising environment firsthand, simply hit play on the video below. Scroll a little further to read a summary of the key takeaways from the conversation.
- Don’t give up on late summer fundraising — investors may be a little slower to respond, but that shouldn’t deter you from building relationships that could lead to closing deals in the fall.
- Overcommunicate with your potential investors. To catch their attention, Sydney suggests reporting any exciting new developments like recently closed deals and significant hires, in addition to what your business is building and why.
- Consider getting creative with your go-to-market strategy. It’s certainly been working for the latest wave of digital health companies, which have started pivoting from selling to employers (who have been cutting back on benefits in the post-pandemic environment) to clinics.
- Cut the gimmicks and be authentic. There are amazing pre-seed and seed investors out there — find them, focus on them, and stick to your values.
- Present your fundraising story earlier in your pitch deck. Investors want to know that you’re keeping yourself accountable to the reasons you’re raising, what you’ll do with the money, and what your company's next 12–18 months will look like.
Are you working on a solution that you believe will turn Sydney’s head? Reach out to her directly at [email protected].
Mercury